The Law Office of Sean Christian Connolly

The rights granted by a U.S. patent extend only throughout the territory of the United States and have no effect in a foreign country. An inventor, who wishes patent protection in other countries, must apply for a patent in each of the other countries or in regional patent offices. Almost every country has its own set of patent laws, and a person desiring a patent in a particular country must make an application for patent in that country, in accordance with the requirements of that country.

The United States is a member nation of the Patent Cooperation Treaty, which facilitates the filing of applications for patent on the same invention in member countries by providing, among other things, for centralized filing procedures and a standardized application format. The timely filing of an international application or PCT Request with the United States Patent and Trademark Office affords applicants an international filing date in each country which is designated in the international application and provides for a search of the invention and a later time period within which the national applications for patent must be filed.